Which 1930's, 1940's, early 1950's AutoShite ?

[lesapandre]

Back in the early 50's my old man had an Armstrong Siddeley Hurricane rag top.

Even at 5/6 years old I thought it was well cool. Don't remember anything about how 

reliable it was. He got rid of it, coz famlay, for a Rover 14, which at 7 I thought was a proper chariot.

Black with red leather, you know, that old, worn, proper cow skin.

I remember every summer in the early 60's we used to drive to Eastbourne.

Now you might think that isn't so far. Well it fuckin well is from Aberdeen.

Ferry across the Forth, could be an hours wait, no motorways, trucks grinding up the hills in a cloud of clag 

doing 20, few places to overtake. 

I looked on it as an adventure. Waving out the back window, none of that seat belt stuff, at truckers

and checking their reg in the AA book to see which was the furthest from home and ticking off the ones I had seen

and trying to find the more obscure plates. I can clearly remember seeing a Jersey plate once, and nearly wetting myself with excitement.

Anyhoo, I don't ever remember that Rover breaking down on any of those journeys

which considering it was from the late 40's seems to suggest a certain resilience which a Rover

that was aimed at Doctors and Country bank managers would have to have had.

No heater, fuckin cold in winter, blankets and woolies, had to put a small paraffin heater under the engine 

overnight otherwise it wouldn't start in the morning, and a blanket over the engine.

Suicide doors, opening flap vents in the footwells, shite and drafty in winter, wipers that you could have one or two

working, really small boot, no bloody room for the clubs, or much else.

Old man chopped it in in 64 for a brand new Cortina 1500 de luxe.

De luxe ? Vinyl seats, no arm rests, less room, no presence. The only reason I liked it was that it went faster.

Possibly a post-war Rover P3 75. These had the pre-war style body but used the P4 chassis and engine - a kind of interim model. You get post war reliability with pre-war style. Very nicely made. Great cars.

[forddeliveryboy]

Was that in a Practical Classics feature some time ago? I half remember them using a rear engined Skoda gearbox in the conversion.

It does - the whole thing works very well and even runs on veg sometimes I'm told.

[somewhatfoolish]

This looks like a good bet as well as an ideal base for live-action interpretations of the Ant Hill Mob.

 

1934 Chrysler Kew six

 

 

It's pretty clear why these were popular as taxis, look at the space!

 

[Saabnut]

Possibly a post-war Rover P3 75. These had the pre-war style body but used the P4 chassis and engine - a kind of interim model. You get post war reliability with pre-war style. Very nicely made. Great cars.

 

Sorry to be a pedant but the P3 Rover is a unique hybrid underneath. It looks very much like the pre war P2 on top, but the P3 had a half chassis to the front and a monocoque to the rear, one of the reasons so few of the few built survive. I have to pick  one up next month for a friend...

[lesapandre]

You are right. Yes I looked again I think it is only the IFS and basic engine design which was carried over. Lovely cars and in 4-light form very elegant. But as you say very rare.

[Six-cylinder]

Anybody know what this car is?

[Angrydicky]

Looks like a Rover to me. EBH is Bucks July 1937-July 1938 so perhaps a P2.

[RayMK]

The link below shows a P2 rear end.  Looks convincing to me.

 

https://www.postwarclassic.com/277135-1947-rover-p2-saloon-2-2-litre#group-19

[Saabnut]

Pretty sure that is a Rover P2 Sportsman. The Sportsman denoted a 4 light (4 side windows, front and rear doors each side). The alternative was the 6 light, a saloon with an additional side window in the D post each side. Came in 10, 12, 14, 16 and 20HP models, the 10 and 12 being 4 cylinder and the others 6 cylinder. Superb cars, all fitted with the free wheel device, which Saab used right up to the early 99.

[alf892]

Rover Sports Saloon.......this is a 12hp 4 cylinder so not very sporty but still a lovely car

[Saabnut]

I used to own the prototype P2 Sportsman, also a 4 cylinder 12hp, registration was DNA so was known as Jean. It needed lots of work and I owned it for over 10 years waiting for it to reach the top of the pile. It never happened, so about 6 years ago I gave it to a friend, FOC and he is slowly doing it. Sometimes I think I should have kept it, but it would still be waiting...

[Bfg]

Rover Sports Saloon.......this is a 12hp 4 cylinder so not very sporty but still a lovely car

image.jpg

 

Gorgeous looking car.  I really do like the Rovers of this period. 

 

If I were to refrain from wearing a bowler hat - might I reasonably comfortably fit in one of those. ?

[puddlethumper]

^^ My old man had, what I now know, was, a P2 6 light Rovver, and he was six one.

Don't ever remember him wearing a bowler.

[alf892]

Gorgeous looking car.  I really do like the Rovers of this period. 

 

If I were to refrain from wearing a bowler hat - might I reasonably comfortably fit in one of those. ?

Well I'm a short arse (5' 9") and can just about wear a hat.

[Bfg]

.

^ Thanks.  Unless you're wearing a Lincoln top hat, rather than a bowler - I wouldn't fit then

[somewhatfoolish]

I seem to remember reading that the Gordon Keeble GK1 has sufficient headroom to allow a 6' man to keep his Trilby on.

[Bfg]

^ very nice but not for Autoshite money I thinks !

[somewhatfoolish]

Sadly not; up to about a decade ago they were just about in the 'frivolously expensive but just about within reach' band but of late prices have followed the likes of Jensen Interceptors and AM V8s into the 'telephone number stupidity' band.